Lessons about how we see our clothes.

November 6, 2009

I have been remembering and relearning things at Fireworks parties with my blundering and honest compliments.

“I have to say, I love your coat.

I mean, it’s the ugliest coat ever. It’s got a drawstring around the middle and I’ve never seen anyone make that look good. That’s the type of coat your 50 year old child-minder wears and it doesn’t look cool, it just makes them look fat and sexless. But you, you’re the only person in the world I’ve ever seen make that coat look actually awesome. That’s insanely impressive.”

“Oh. Well, thanks. How convoluted.”

An explanation from someone who overheard:“Well she probably sees the coat as an extension of herself, representing a part of her. She probably saw it in a shop and thought YES, This coat is my essence, this is perfect. It will represent me and my soul perfectly, it is amazing, I love it. Because it’s not just something that suits her, it makes up part of her.”

I forget this. I suppose I do the same – that’s why brand image is so important, because people are buying into the product. They want the values and to become part of that through the product. Like the BMW man buys into thick sunglasses and driving badly. These are his ideals (though I’ve heard that’s that Audi are the New BMW).

It’s strange how we can give our own alternative values to the ugliest items found in a charity (or vintage) shop or to old wildly ugly nikes twenty years later.